The AlunAlun Dance Circle using the Amilbangsa Instruction Method conducted pangalay training from October to December 2012 among 29 children in Manila Boys’ Town. The young people came from difficult circumstances like physical abuse, labor exploitation, child trafficking, troubled neighborhoods, homelessness and other dire situations. Joining the pangalay classes were 23 sprightly seniors aged 60 to […]

By Nannette Matilac Photos by Leonard Reyes, NTFP To dance pangalay among ASEAN compatriots is a privileged experience, especially because fellow nationals from Asian countries appreciate this dance tradition that is akin to their own. I was lucky to be in Siem Reap in October 2012 as the official documenter of the “First Regional […]

The more important occasion on the 2012 trip to Tawi-Tawi was the Local History Writing Seminar-Workshop on 28-29 September 2012 held at the Sabdani Bulante Conference Room at the Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi. The seminar-workshop was the brainchild of Prof. Filemon Romero, PhD. Aware of the importance of reviving and promoting local history writing, various […]

Ligaya Amilbngsa with Governor Sahali (right) and ARMM Tourism Officer Nassreena S. Baddinni (left) watching the dance contest of the Agal-Agal Festival on 25 September 2012 at DepEd Compound in Bongao. September is the anniversary month for the province of Tawi-Tawi, which used to be part of theprovinceofSulu. On 11 September 1973, by virtue of […]

August 2012 is memorable as the month with two full moons and rains brought about by the great ‘Habagat’ that caused the great deluge in Mega Manila. The heavy rains and thunderstorms did not stop the significant performances scheduled in August 2012. DISCOURSING PHILIPPINE MUSLIM HISTORY AT NHCP Two days after the Habagat floods, the […]

24 August 2012 featured a choreography on Linggisan and Pangasik during opening ceremonies: Linggisan is a pangalay variant using the janggay or metal claws to amplify gestures and hand movements portraying images of a bird in flight, searching for food,or simply enjoying the gift of freedom. Pangasik is a pangalay variant that mimics the movements […]

July and August are busy months for the ADC with performances for Southeast Asian audiences in various venues in Metro Manila, namely for the Ateneo Student Exchange Council Cultural Program on July 15, 2012, the Commemorative Program of the 45th Founding Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the DFA Auditorium on […]

The Breath is the Life Force which is also the foundation of pangalay movements. (The same is true for Asian movements like qi gong, tai chi and aikido.) Being a dance style not predetermined by linear time but by breathing in harmony with nature, pangalay connects the dancer and the audience to the Life Force. […]